Quick Release Reusable Sandbag Sinker

ABSTRACT

A fishing sinker consisting of a cloth bag which is open at the top. The bag is partially filled and then the upper part of the bag is gathered together and closed by means of an eye pin and rubber band attached to the eye of the eye pin. The eye pin is laid across the gathered fabric then the rubber band is pulled around the gathered fabric and over the end of the eye pin to provide closure. The bag can thus be emptied and retrieved by pulling firmly on the fishing line, which is also attached to the metal pin, which is tethered to the bottom of the bag.

The Quick Release Reusable Sandbag Sinker is an ecologically viable alternative to other heavy objects such as lead, bricks, rocks, concrete chucks, bundles of railroad spikes and other various heavy items used to secure fishing lines in moving water. These aforementioned objects are and have been typically, left in the rivers by means of breaking off a makeshift heavy sinker attached to a light weight sinker line because the sinker is too heavy to retrieve when the angler reels in or hooks a fish.

The Quick Release Reusable Sandbag Sinker is a cloth container with a mechanism which allows the fisherman to empty sand or gravel from the bag by simply pulling firmly on the fishing line. The bag is then easily retrieved and can be used again and again.

The application of the Quick Release Reusable Sandbag Sinker may be an ocean beach or river bank fishing situation where an angler uses a fishing rod secured on the shore with a rod holder. The angler uses a boat to haul the baited line and heavy sinker into the river farther than one could typically cast a line. The Quick Release Reusable Sandbag Sinker provides substantial weight to secure the fishing line in a stationary position in moving water.

The Quick Release Reusable Sandbag Sinker may also be used from an anchored boat to secure a line or lines a considerable distance from the side of the boat in still or moving water.

The Quick Release Reusable Sandbag Sinker may also be used to anchor a small boat such as a canoe or kayak providing a handy alternative to conventional anchors as the Quick Release Reusable Sandbag Sinker is virtually weightless when it is retrieved.

The unique shape of the Quick Release Reusable Sandbag Sinker in combination with a unique closure system facilitates a fast and thorough means of emptying and retrieving the bag.

The Quick Release Reusable Sandbag Sinker is constructed of two pieces of cotton fabric sewn together with a surge sewing machine including additional top stitching to form a sturdy cloth bag which is open at the top and twice as wide at the top as it is at the bottom. See FIG. 5 and FIG. 7.

The bottom of the bag is slightly pointed and the lower most point is folded inward ½ inch to form a small attachment point area where there are thus four layers of fabric, which has four rows of reinforcement stitching for added strength. FIG. 3F, FIG. 1G and FIG. 5.

The top edge of the bag may have bias tape or a rolled hem.

The rubber band is an inch wide, 1/32 inches thick, has a circumference of four inches and is made of ethylene propylene diene monomer. The rubber band is secured inside the eye of the eye pin. The rubber band is custom cut for Greggory Stockert and manufactured by Alliance Rubber Company.

The eye pin and rubber band provide a means of closing the bag by means of gathering the top part of the bag, laying the pin beside the gathered fabric and pulling the rubber band around the gathered fabric and onto the pin. FIGS. 1B, 2A, 3C, and 1C.

Pulling firmly on the pin with attached fishing line may then open the bag as the pulled pin releases the rubber band from the end of the pin. The rubber band remains in the eye of the pin to be used again. The pin remains attached to the main fishing line and the tether line, which is attached to the bottom of the bag.

The fishing line and tether may alternately be attached to a conventional 3-way swivel, which is attached to the eye pin. The basic functional principals remain the same if this means of attachment is employed. See FIG. 1D

The brass “eye pin” in made of 3/32 diameter brass rod has a ⅝ inch diameter eye and a 1⅞ inch shaft excluding the eye. This pin is designed by Greggory Stockert and manufactured by Hindley Mfg.

The eye pin is attached to the bottom of the bag with 80 pound braided line which is stitched through the reinforced attachment point at the bottom of the bag and tied in a knot. FIGS. 3F and 1G. The eye pin is attached to the braided line at a distance equal to the distance from the bottom of the bag to the top of the bag.

The fishing line to the reel is also attached to the eye pin with a conventional knot.

The fishing line may alternately be attached to the pin by means of a 3-way swivel as illustrated in FIG. 1D.

One finished bag is 16 inches tall with a circumference of 40 inches at the top and 20 inches in the lower area excluding the peaked bottom and attachment point. However the bag may be made in smaller or larger sizes with the same proportions because smaller or larger sizes of the same bag may suit various applications. 

1. A fishing sinker, comprising: a cloth bag made of two pieces of cloth sewn together to form a bag open at the top for the purpose of containing sand, a tether line threaded through and securely tied to a reinforced central point at the bottom of the bag for the purpose of emptying and retrieving the bag, a metal eye pin securely attached to said tether line at a distance from the bottom of the bag equal to the total depth of the bag with a rubber band secured inside the eye of the eye pin for the purpose of providing closure by means of gathering the upper portion of the partially filled bag, laying the pin beside the gathered fabric at the top of the bag, pulling the rubber band around the gathered fabric, and securing the taught rubber band onto the end of the eye pin thus securing the contents of the bag, a point of attachment on the eye of said pin where a fishing line is attached for the purpose of pulling said pin to open said bag, empty said bag and retrieve said bag by pulling the fishing line which is also attached to said pin. 